

Cisco ACI and Akamai Guardicore Segmentation compete in the network and security management category. Based on feature set, Cisco ACI appears to have the upper hand due to its extensive scalability and programmability features, while Guardicore Segmentation focuses on strong micro-segmentation and adaptability.
Features: Cisco ACI offers integration with environments like VMware, high scalability supporting over 64,000 tenant networks, and more than one million endpoints. Its programmability, automation, and centralized management enhance deployment and network management efficiency. Akamai Guardicore Segmentation provides strong visibility, micro-segmentation features, and adaptability across on-premises and cloud platforms. Its high customization levels allow flexible deployment in various environments.
Room for Improvement: Cisco ACI faces challenges in complexity, especially during configuration and integration, with a steep learning curve and issues in migrating from legacy systems. Enhancements in documentation and integration with third-party vendors are needed. Akamai Guardicore Segmentation requires improved integration with other security tools and more automation in managing security policies. User experience simplification and faster network mapping are suggested improvements.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco ACI is noted for a robust platform requiring significant initial setup effort, especially in complex architectures, although its customer service is generally positive. Akamai Guardicore Segmentation offers responsive support but faces challenges due to the product’s novelty and limited expertise. Both products could improve deployment processes and support training.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco ACI is seen as expensive, suitable for large enterprises with its adaptable pricing model. Smaller firms may find initial costs prohibitive, although benefits often justify the investment. Akamai Guardicore Segmentation also has a high price point, particularly with added segmentation features, but offers competitive pricing strategies. Both aim for cost-effectiveness through operational efficiency and ROI, though initial expenditure is substantial.
I have not seen a return on investment in terms of specific metrics like time saved or reduced risk, but I can say that reduced risk is significant.
Efficient utilization leads to cost savings and efficiency gains.
The technical support from Cisco is satisfactory.
When issues occur, the TAC is not able to provide much support, leading to difficulties in finding RCAs.
It scales very well, and I can keep adding agents and scale as much as needed.
Expanding your network or your data center with Cisco ACI is not an issue; scalability is a good feature.
The scalability of Cisco ACI supports our organization's growth effectively.
The solution offers high performance and scalability with connectivity options up to 100 GS.
For stability, Cisco ACI rates a nine or 9.5 because I've seen three customers using Cisco ACI and once deployed, the solution is very stable.
I think it is really valuable to take a course on Akamai Guardicore Segmentation because many things are not obvious in terms of how to do them correctly.
I believe implementing MFA would be very useful and helpful to us.
We do not make use of its visibility and analytics features, as we are mostly using it for the networking part only.
Their lack of on-ground offices can result in business losses.
The pricing was flexible, and it has worked out well with our budget.
In general, Cisco ACI is on the higher side; it's not a cheap solution.
Cisco's pricing tends to be on the higher end compared to other vendors.
Cost is one thing that could be improved, as it is heavy for an emerging market like ours.
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation offers us large visibility in all our environments and helps us to understand network segmentation and traffic.
The best features Akamai Guardicore Segmentation offers make it simple to see all of the connections that are being made to each of the endpoints, and they can be controlled by process and port.
Cisco ACI provides substantial capability; you can design your network accordingly and it's part of the SDN family, providing many benefits to the organization, especially when moving from traditional network infrastructure.
The current tool is adequate for day-to-day operations, but we want to explore more on AI Ops and hope future versions of OpenText can support that.
Its features, like easy application deployment, short deployment time for new applications or software, and eliminating the hassle of STP, are appreciated.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Akamai Guardicore Segmentation | 18.8% |
| Cisco ACI | 4.2% |
| Other | 77.0% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 7 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 3 |
| Large Enterprise | 10 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 21 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 19 |
| Large Enterprise | 87 |
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation is a software-based microsegmentation solution that provides the simplest, fastest, and most intuitive way to enforce Zero Trust principles. It enables you to prevent malicious lateral movement in your network through precise segmentation policies, visuals of activity within your IT environment, and network security alerts. Akamai Guardicore Segmentation works across your data centers, multicloud environments, and endpoints. It is faster to deploy than infrastructure segmentation approaches and provides you with unparalleled visibility and control of your network.
Cisco ACI provides advanced capabilities with features like seamless integration with VMware and APIs for programmability. It offers centralized management for streamlined operations, efficient micro-segmentation, and robust security, addressing modern data center needs.
Cisco ACI brings automation to data center infrastructure, enabling transitions from legacy to modern environments with centralized management. Organizations benefit from optimized server farms, seamless integration with VMware, and support for Kubernetes, making it suitable for large-scale environments. Offering support for healthcare, finance, and public sectors, Cisco ACI facilitates tasks such as virtual networking and multi-site connectivity with application-centric and network-centric designs.
What are the key features of Cisco ACI?In the healthcare industry, Cisco ACI supports secure and efficient data management, accommodating regulatory needs and enhancing patient data handling. Financial institutions benefit from robust security and seamless integration with existing infrastructures, facilitating smooth transaction processing. In the public sector, it's utilized for reliable network management and servicing a diverse range of applications.
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